Although Max Bemis doesn’t say it this time, Say Anything’s new album Anarchy, My Dear starts with a song of rebellion. The band’s single, “Burn a Miracle” expresses contempt for society in the cheery way Say Anything is known for. The song not only suggests you burn a miracle, as the title suggests, but that you “burn America” and “burn the dream” as well. Compared to Say Anything’s previous self titled album, Burn a Miracle is a slightly edgier song and implies an overall more intense album. However, the rest of the album, as profoundly moving as it may be, will not ignite a mosh pit.

The next songs on the album,titled “Say Anything”, “Night’s Song” may reach fans who have listened to Say Anything early on. “Say Anything” has an acoustic, yet upbeat, tune that accompanies catchy lyrics. “Night’s Song” is a little slowly, but still delivers Say Anything’s mastery of lyrics with lines like “and I swoon underneath the pallet moon praise the night and praise the night the only times I feel all right”. Both songs would fit nicely on their 2005 album Was a Real Boy.

Say Anything has not forgotten their hate for hipsters. On their 2004 album Is a Real Boy Say Anything made their hatred for the counterculture clear with the song “Admit it”. “Admit it” is heavily sarcastic and critical of hipsters, which is especially obvious in lines like “Prototypical non-conformist /You are a vacuous soldier of the thrift store Gestapo /You adhere to a set of standards and tastes /That appear to be determined by an unseen panel of hipster judges”. Apparently that wasn’t enough. Say Anything urges the hipsters to admit it once more with their song “Admit it Again”. The song opens with a remixed part from the end of “Admit it”. In “Admit it Again” Say
Anything makes more stabs at the hipster ego by saying ” Don’t wanna hear about how the latest Rihanna single is a post-modern masterpiece/Stop punishing me!” and they even go as far as to say “my blood boils at the thought of you/ poser, die!”.

After Say Anything spills their anger in “Admit it Again” they slow down the pace with “So Good”, “Sheep”, and “Peace Out”. “So Good” is a bit kinder than most of Say Anything’s songs. “Sheep” and “Peace Out” still represent Say Anything’s powerful grasp of the English language and harsh words, just in a softer manor. “Peace Out” starts with a unique melody similar to a 1600’s harp solo, but reclaims its stance in modern music with lyrics like ” I’ll be fine, sever this for all time. Laugh it off when this ends, you can just go get high with all of your dumb friends”.

“Overbiter” and “Of Steel” pick up the pace a bit more, both with the kind of tune that sticks to the brain for at least a few days. The next song, “Anarchy, My Dear” is back to the slow, yet meaningful type of song. Out of all the songs on the album, “Anarchy, My Dear” is the least memorable and the most sappy. However, the album ends on a high note with “The Stephen Hawking”, even though it starts out slow. During this song, Say Anything verges on screaming. Overall the song is upbeat, but in the way that would make you punch a wall, not jump for joy. The lyrics are, perhaps, even more harsh than in “Burn a Miracle”. The song is a comparison of space items (such as stars and black holes) to people. For example, “There must be something in the way you burn,/it makes me lose control. /If you’re the Sun, I’m a black hole.”.

Overall, this album will please fans who enjoy a multitude of Say Anything’s albums. Those who are glued to the band’s 2009 album, Say Anything, may not enjoy the variety of styles displayed in this album as much. The album has a mixture of slow songs and upbeat “typical” Say Anything songs. In this album, it is clear that Say Anything has not lost their angst or writing abilities. Basically, if you are a dedicated fan, this album will not disappoint you. So buy it. Or at least listen to it somewhere on the internet.